I always love this time of year...Not only because Santa was good to me or because it's the holidays, but because there's time off from the daily grind. No schedules, no traffic, no worries...just good ale's, good rides, and good times. And of course it's also an opportunity to catch up on some much needed TV. I have tons of media laying around on my hard drive so I figured I'd do some catching up.Now, everyone knows I've been an avid hockey fan for decades and that my favorite time of the year is during the NHL Winter Classic which is an outdoor hockey game played annually on New Years Day. Well, HBO 24/7 created a series properly titled The Road To The Winter Classic which is a four-part documentary chronicling the preparation of the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins for this years outdoor game, which takes place at the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the great Heinz field. The documentary follows them on home and road games and gives unprecedented access on the functionality and politics of an NHL hockey team. You'll see Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau lose his cool and throw "F" bombs like there's no tomorrow, great rookie pranks, locker room footage and traditions, and for the ladies, Alex Ovechkin in his briefs. Plus you'll hear what is actually being said on the ice, which is what I always wonder, especially during fights, penalties and that non-stop chirp players do to one another. One word...Excellent! It's basically all you ever wanted to know about what goes on behind the scenes of an NHL team. Highly recommended if you're into the game and it's got great music too, as most HBO 24/7 shows do.
Below are the first and second episodes , which aired December 15th and 22nd. The next episode is this Wednesday, December 29 at 10:00 PM. For more info and photos, click here.
